Coin-receptacle.



PATBNTED NOV. 8, 1904.

J. W. STEPHENS.

COIN REGBPTACLE.

APPLIGATION FILED FEB. s. 1904.

N0 MODEL.

a7 I l 2 5 lll 1 III.. Ill l which form a part of this specification.

posited Where this system is in vogue, the

No. '774,vo'r.

UNITED STATES i :Patented November 8, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

COIN-RECEPTACLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 774,707, dated.' November 8, 1904.

Application filed February 8, 1904.

To all whomj zit 71cm/ concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH W. STEPHENS, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in the city and county of Denver and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin-Receptacles; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to Which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,

My invention relates to improvements in coin-receptacles of the class adapted for use in connection with savings-banks. With these banks the practice is to loan each depositor one of these receptacles, and whenhe has lled it with coins or put in the desired quantity it is brought to the bank and the amount dedepositor is not supposed to have a key to the coin-receptacle or miniature safe, and it is important that the saidreceptacle, While permitting free access to coins, should be of such construction that the coins cannot be removed except by unlocking and opening the safe, as is done at the savings-bank When the depositor returns the receptacle to the bank for that purpose.

My object is to provide a device of this class adapted to combine features of security against. removal of the coins except by the authorized person holding the key With simplicity and economy of construction, durability, and general efliciency so far as all the requirements in a device of this class are concerned.

Having dened the class to which my invention belongs and outlined the objects I expect to attain thereby, I will proceed to describe the vsame in detail, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which is illustrated an embodiment thereof.

In the drawings, Figure l is a vertical longitudinal section taken through a coin-receptacle equipped With my improvements, showing a coin inserted in the chute and held therein preparatory to dropping it into the body of the receptacle. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary semi No. 192.653. (No man.)

View of the same, showing the coin-chute adjusted to drop the coin into the body of the receptacle. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary underneath View of the lid or cover of the receptacle, showing the coin-chute in the position shown in Fig. l. Fig. 4 is a similar view showing the chute in the position shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary top view of the receptacle with the lid removed. Fig. 6

" is a section taken on the line 6 6, Fig. 5.

'Thesame reference characters indicate the Same parts in all the views.

Let A designate the body of the receptacle, which, as shown in the drawings, is stamped out of an integral piece of sheet-steel and provided with rounded corners, thus preventing injury to polished articles of furniture with which it may come in contact and also making it smooth and easy to handle and, further, giving ita sightly appearance. Secured to one end of this receptacle is a ledge or plate A', which extends at right angles to the Vertical wall of the receptacle and is rigidly connected therewith. As shown in the drawings, this ledge A' is formed integral with an upwardly-projecting part A2, which is soldered to the wall of the receptacle or secured thereto in any other Suitable manner.

Located below the rigid ledge A' is a plate A3, hinged to the ledge A', as shown at Af. As shown in the drawings, the ledge A' is provided with ears A5, and the hinged plate A3 is provided with cooperating ears A, and these two sets of ears are connected by hingepins Awhereby the plate A3 is permitted a limited degree of downward movement when the receptacle is in the upright position. The length of this plate A3 is somewhat greater than the ledge A', for reasons hereinafter explained.

The upper part of the body of the receptacle is provided on opposite sides at each endv with lid-supporting ledges A7, which are supported or braced by beveled portions A8, which by reason of their inclination do not obstruct the discharge of the coins from the receptacle after the lid has been removed. Also located at each end of the receptacle at the top is a narrow horizontal ledge A. At one end of the receptacle this ledge is adapted to catchtwo small lips B, fast on one end of the lid B. These lips project slightly downwardly from the under surface of the lid, leaving sufficient space between them and the lid for the ledge A" to enter, while at the opposite end of the receptacle the narrow ledge A9 is used to hold a locking-bolt B",connected with a lock B3, mounted on the lid, the said bolt being operated by a key B".

It will be understood that any suitable locking mechanism may be employed in connection with my improved coin-receptacle. The lid B of this receptacle is provided with a transverse slot B5 of suflicient length and width to receive the largest coin which it is proposed to place therein or of the largest denomination of the currency of the country where the receptacle is used. At one side of this slot, being' the side adjacent one end of the receptacle, is a short slot B, through which passes a stud BT, made fast to a coverplate Bx and also passing through a lip/Cl of the movable coin-chute C, which is movable on the lid to a degree equal to the length of the slot BG. rllhe lip C is bent at right angles to the body of the chute, and the cover Bs is connected with this lip by applying a nut to the lower extremity of the stud. The chute on the opposite side from the lip C is also provided with another lip, (designated (12,) which is provided with a slot C3, through which is passed a screw Ci, its upper extremity being threaded in the lid. The slot C corresponds in length with the slot B of the lid. The chute is thus connected with the lid by means of the two lips C' and C2, and it is free to slide freely on the lid to cause its opening C5 to register with the coin-slot B5 or not, as may be desired. W hen the chute is in position to register with the coin-slot B5, the coin-slot is open; but when the chute is moved to bring its upper extremity out of register or to the left of the coin-slot (see Fig. 2) the cover BS, connected with the chute, closes the coin-slot against the entrance of coins. The coin-slot, as shown in the drawings, is open at both ends and has closed walls. It' is a narrow chute, but of sufficient size to receive the largest coin, or, in other words, is substantially of the same area in cross-section as the coin-slot B. When the opening C5 of the chute registers with the slot B5 of the lid, the opening' at the lower end of the chute is directly above the ledge A', so that a coin dropped into the slot B5 and entering the chute will rest upon the ledge A. Vhen the coin is in this position, it may be dropped into the body of the chute by moving thc chute toward the left,

referring to Figs. l and 2, suiiiciently to bring the opening at the lower extremity of the chute beyond or to the left of the outer extremity of the ledge AC (See Fig'. 2.)

The function of the hinge-plate A3 is to preextremity of the chute when the latter is in the position shown in Fig. 2. It is evident that in order to remove a coin from the receptacle the coin must first be made to enter the chute through its lower extremity. Hence the receptacle must be inverted, and as soon as this occurs the hinge-plate drops over and closes the lower extremity of the chute and prevents the entrance of a coin.

One extremity of the receptacle-namely, that remote from the coin-chute mechanism is provided with an opening in which is insei-ted a short tube D, having its inner'edge toothed, as shown at D'. This opening and tube are to permit the insertion of paper currency. The object of the teeth is to prevent the removal of this species of currency, since paper will have a tendency to catch on the teeth. This, however, is not a novel feature in receptacles of this class and nothing is claimed, broadly, thereon.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is l. A coin-receptacle provided with a ledge rigidly secured to one wall thereof, the top of the receptacle being' provided with a coin-slot, an open-ended chute slidably mounted on the top of the receptacle to bring the opening of the chute into or out of register with the coinslot, the ledge being of a length to close the chute when in register with the slot but to leave it open when the chute is out of register with the slot, the chute having an exteriorlylocated cover connected with the chute at one side of the body of the latter and slidable therewith to close the slot When out of register with the chute and to open it when the chute and slot are in register, the ledge being of a length to closethe inner extremity of the chute when the latter is in register with the coin-slot and to leave the same extremity of the chute open when the coin-slot and chute are out of register.

2. A coin-receptacle provided with an openended chute movably mounted on one wall thereof, the said wall being provided with a coin-slot, the range of movement of the chute being' sui'licient to bring the chute and slot into and out of register, one wall of the receptacle being provided with a ledge of a length to close the inner extremity of the chute when the latter is in register with the coinslot and leave it open when the slot and chute are out of register, and exteriorly-located means rigidly connected with the chute and moving therewith to close the coin-slot when the chute is out of register therewith.

3. The combination of a coin-receptacle provided with a coin-slot formed in one of its Walls, and a coin-chute located within the receptacle and movable on the Wall of the receptacle provided with a coin-slot, the chute having a degree of movement suiiicient to bring it into or vent the removal of coins from the receptaout of register with the coin-slot as desired, cle, and its length 1s such as to close the lower and a cover connected to move with the coin- IOO IIO

IIS

chute and exteriorly located on the side of the receptacle containing the coin-slot, the cover being located at one side of the body of the chute and arranged to close the coin-slot when the chute is actuated to bring its body portion out of register with said slot. A

4. rlhe combination with a coin-receptacle, of a coin-chute slidable on one wall of the receptacle, the said wall being provided with a coin-slot, andthe chute being movable to bring it into and out of register with said slot, the chute being open at both ends, a ledge secured to the wall of thevreceptacle on the inside and of a length to project in front of the inner extremity of the chute when the latter registers with the coin-slot, but leaving the inner extremity of the chute open when the latter is vmoved to bring it out ofregister with the coin-slot, and a hinged plate vconnected with the wall of the receptacle adjacent the ledge and of greater length than the latter whereby it is adapted to close the inner extremity of the coin-chute when moved out of register with the coin-slot, the said plate being arranged to swing to and from thechute as described.

The combination with a coin-receptacle having a coin-slot in one wall thereof, a coinchute slidable on the inner surface of the wall of the receptacle containing the coin-slot and being movable to bring the chute into and out of register with the slot as desired, and an exteriorly-located cover rigidly connected with the coin-chute and located at one side of the body portion of the chute for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination with a coin-receptacle having a ledge on the inner surface of one of its walls, a removable lid adapted to close the receptacle on one side, said lid being provided with a coin-slot, and having' a coin-chute interiorly located and movably connected with its inner surface on the side containing the coin-slot, its degree of movement being such as to allow it to move into and out of register with the coin-slot and having an exteriorlyprojecting part movable with the chute and located at one side of the body portion of the chute, the ledge on the inner wall of the chute being of a length to close the inner extremity of the latter when the chute registers with the coin-slot but leaving the said extremity of the chute open when the latter is moved out of register with the coin-slot, and a plate hinged to the receptacle on the inside adjacent the ledge and somewhat longer than the latter whereby it is adapted to swing to close the inner extremity of the coin-chute when out of register with the coin-slot, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH W. STEPHENS. Witnesses:

A. J. OBRIEN, DENA NELSON. 

